Last Chance
by avdubs
Summary: Sixteen years ago, Draco abandoned Hermione and their unborn child. Now he's back and insisting that he's ready to be in their lives. But if their daughter is anything like her mother, she won't be easily convinced. Or forgiving.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Hermione's relationship with Draco was going surprisingly well. They had gotten together not long after the war and dated throughout their seventh year. She had gotten a job at the Ministry in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement while Draco had started training with his father to take over the family business. After a few months of living in separate apartments and Draco spending practically every day and night at her place, they decided to move in together. His parents weren't completely thrilled when they told them the news, but they said nothing to object. At least their son was still willing to take over the business once Lucius was gone.

Harry and Ginny had just gotten engaged a few months ago, and while Hermione was deliriously happy for them, she couldn't shake the longing to be in their position. While she desperately wanted to bring the subject up to Draco, she was cautious to do so. They had said I love you, but as he hadn't brought up the idea of marriage, she didn't want to scare him off. However as the weeks dragged by and overhearing countless conversations between the old school enemies about wedding plans, Hermione decided it was time to bring the subject up to Draco.

The night she decided to ask Draco if he ever saw them getting married, she made his favorite dinner and bought a bottle of his favorite wine. He had come home from work like he always did, looking rather exhausted but happy to see her all the same.

They sat down at the table to eat, while Hermione watched him carefully under hooded eyes. She waited until his shoulders were no longer hunched and he wasn't wearing such a heavy frown.

"Draco there's something I wanted to talk to you about." she said.

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow as he set down his wine glass and smacked his lips.

"Harry and Ginny's engagement got me thinking." she mumbled, perhaps more so to herself than to the blonde sitting across from her.

She hadn't noticed the tension return to his shoulders.

"Do you see us ever getting married?" the question had fumbled out of her mouth so quickly she was surprised she made any sense at all.

Draco let out a long, slow breath and ran a hand through his hair. He wasn't answering right away and the longer he stayed silent, the more her stomach churned anxiously.

"My parents wouldn't be too thrilled about that..." he admitted, unable to look her directly in the eyes.

Hermione scrunched her nose. She couldn't care less what his parents thought of their relationship, but their opinion was very important to Draco; something she had been trying to change since they started dating.

"Draco you're a grown man now! You're perfectly capable of making your own decisions-" she started to say.

"My dad could fire me. There'd be no one to take over our business. I wouldn't have a job-"

"Oh bollocks. You're an exceptionally skilled wizard, you'd have no problem getting a job anywhere." she snapped.

He smiled sadly at her at that moment and reached across the table to take her hand in his. She avoided his gaze, tears prickling at her eyes. This wasn't how she expected this to go. But she needed to hear this, at least now she knew where they stood.

"I do love you, Hermione. We're young. I just think that we have time, and things are great between us already." he said softly.

Hermione nodded. Of course. They had only been out of school for a year. They weren't even twenty yet. But she was still certain that she was ready for marriage, but Draco wasn't, and that was fine. Really.

"Let's have a cup of tea and then what do you say we hit the shower?" he suggested with a knowing look and that mischievous twinkle in his eye that she loved so much.

* * *

Weeks had passed and neither one had said a word more about marriage. Hermione wasn't going to push him on something he wasn't ready for, and Draco seemed relieved. Besides, she had a more pressing matter at hand right now. The first morning she woke up feeling nauseous she thought she came down with the flu. But when the nausea had faded by mid-afternoon and returned the next six mornings in a row, she knew this was not the flu.

Work seemed to drag on that day as her thoughts focused on the possibility of having a life growing inside of her at that very second. How was she going to tell Draco? How would he react? What were they going to do?

 _Okay, relax._ she told herself. _You don't even know for sure yet if you're pregnant._

Hermione took a deep breath and returned her attention to what Kingsley was saying. She felt a nudge in her side and turned to see Harry staring at her with concern.

"Are you alright?" he whispered, his lips barely moving.

Everyone knew better than to talk while Kingsley was talking.

"M'fine." she muttered and offered a smile to convince him.

But she wasn't fine. She hadn't heard a single word during the meeting, she still felt slightly nauseous, there seemed to be a good chance that she was pregnant and if she was, she'd have to figure out a way to tell Draco.

Oh God...what if he thought she had tricked him into getting her pregnant in the hopes he would marry her? She would never, of course. But if Draco would think that, it wouldn't be easy to convince him she hadn't done this on purpose. Marriage she was ready for, a child she was not.

* * *

After work that evening, Hermione stopped to pick up a pregnancy test in muggle London and resisted the urge to curse at the cashier for not having a bathroom. She buried the test in her bag, and tried not to think about it just sitting there, waiting for her as she made her way home. As she walked down the dimly lit streets she tried to convince herself she wasn't pregnant. Maybe it was her current diet or stress from work or maybe it was something entirely unrelated to a new life growing inside her.

Draco wasn't home yet and Hermione let out a sigh of relief. She wanted to do this alone. If the test was positive she would need a moment to collect herself, and if wasn't...well, a moment of celebration alone would be nice too. And she wouldn't even have to mention this to Draco.

Hermione slipped into the bathroom, clicking the door shut behind her. She withdrew the test from her bag, closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. She ripped open the box and sat down to take it. When she was done, she set it on the counter and closed her eyes again. This was going to be a long three minutes.

When the time was up, Hermione rose from the toilet and picked up the test. The second her eyes fell on that little pink plus sign she felt her heart sink into her stomach. She was pregnant, and now she had to tell her boyfriend.

* * *

Draco came home not long after she found out she was pregnant and Hermione was waiting nervously in the kitchen for him. Her foot wouldn't stop tapping against the tiled floor, her tea sat untouched.

"Everything alright, love?" he asked absent-mindedly.

She watched as he shrugged off his coat and kicked off his shoes. Hermione cleared her throat and rose to greet him. She kissed him on the cheek, quick and chaste before stepping back to admire him. There was a sadness in her eyes that hadn't been there before. Draco frowned, studying her face.

"There's something I need to tell you."

* * *

Hermione woke the next morning, startled to find that Draco wasn't laying beside her. She rolled to her side and sighed. He had taken the news surprisingly well last night. He had hardly batted an eye and insisted they would figure this out. They had quite a few options and they were going to talk them over this evening when they got home.

After a few stolen minutes of drifting in and out of sleep, Hermione forced herself to get up and get ready for the long day she had ahead of her. There was bound to be a large stack of paperwork waiting for her on her desk this morning and she had another meeting with the Aurors today.

She climbed out of bed, groaning when a wave of nausea hit her. She bolted to the bathroom and bent over the toilet. There wasn't much in her stomach and the acid burned her throat as she dry heaved. Godric she hated this.

Hermione wiped her mouth, cleaned herself up and set out to the kitchen to make some tea and toast. She frowned when she spotted a piece of parchment laying on the kitchen table. Still shaking slightly from her retching, Hermione picked up the parchment and began to scan the words that would eventually haunt her for months.

 _Hermione,_

 _I'm not ready for this. I'm so sorry._

 _Draco_

So that was it, was it? He left. Just like that. She was pregnant with their child and he was gone.

* * *

A/N: Hello lovelies! Firstly I want to apologize for the hiatus I've taken on The Final Year. I've been going through an episode of writers block and the new chapter isn't even half-way finished.

This piece here is just a teaser for now. The idea popped into my head the other night and I wrote out the epilogue (which took me a few days, thanks a lot writers block). I won't be updating this story until the Blueberry Stained Summer series is done.

Anyway, let me know what you think by reviews? (:


	2. Draco's Return

Diagon Alley was bustling with large groups and families; all running around shopping for wands and potions ingredients and new robes. There was a slight breeze that made a middle-aged witch hug her jacket a little close to her body.

"Mum! Come on! We're going to be late meeting Uncle Harry and the others!" Rose called from a few feet ahead.

She had her mother's bushy brown hair but had a haunting pair of silver eyes. Hermione had been digging in her bag for Rose's school list, just to ensure she had it memorized correctly. She tucked the letter back into her bag and picked up her pace. Rose had been made Prefect the year before, and had taken to ensuring James got on the right track at school. The two were practically brother and sister. James was starting his second year this year, and as expected, was planning to try out for the Quidditch team. Rose was an excellent flier and had been made Quidditch Captain for the Slytherin team.

Harry, Ginny and James were standing in front of Gringotts. Rose reached them first and promptly showed them her Captain Badge. Harry congratulated her with a long hug and insisted they go out to dinner that evening to celebrate. Ginny kissed her on the cheek and looked close to crying. She had many flying sessions and Quidditch games with Rose over the years; saying she was proud would be an understatement.

Hermione hugged Ginny then Harry and finally James.

"I told James we would get him a new broom for this year." Harry explained as James practically began dragging his parents into Gringotts.

"Mum..." Rose said, stopping in her tracks.

Hermione hugged her daughter tightly. "Of course we can get you a new broom, dear. You deserve it."

Rose went to catch up with James and proceeded to discuss which brooms they might want. Hermione fell into line with Harry and Ginny.

"It's hard to believe Rose is in her second to last year at Hogwarts." Ginny said, glancing over at their children.

Hermione sighed. "Don't remind me. They grow up too fast."

Hermione dug a key out from her bag and placed it on the counter next to the key Harry had placed. The Goblin leered down at them before taking the keys, examining them and announcing a second Goblin would be here in a moment to escort them.

* * *

After retrieving money from their vaults, the party left Gringotts and decided to stop at Madam Malkins first as James desperately needed new robes already. Rose saw one of her friends from school and told her Mum they'd be going to the Apothecary.

"Meet us at Flourish and Blotts when you're done!" Hermione shouted after her.

Rose waved to show she had heard and darted down the cobbled street. Hermione turned to find that Harry, Ginny and James had already entered Madam Malkins' without her. She was just about to pull open the door when she heard someone shout her name from behind.

"Hermione!"

Chills shivered down her spine. She knew that voice. That voice had told her he loved her, had whispered sweet nothings in her ear in the dead of night. Hermione squared her shoulders and turned to face the man who had run out on her seventeen years ago.

Sure enough, Draco Malfoy stood in front of her. He looked almost exactly the same as he had the last time she saw him. His hair was just as sleek and blonde, but his face held more lines. There was now a faint line of stubble along his jaw. She felt her breath hitch and her nostrils flare. Her hand had found her wand in her pocket. Her palms were sweaty against the cool wood.

"What do you want Malfoy?" she spat.

"I-hi." he mumbled as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

Hermione whipped out her wand and strode towards him, quickly closing the short distance between them. His back was pressed against the side of Madam Malkins' as she glared at him. Several hexes were running through her mind, but she couldn't narrow it down to just one. His eyes were fixed on her wand. She could feel her heart pounding against her chest, loud and distracting in her ears. She couldn't think. Her mind was a hurricane of emotions.

"You _abandoned_ me seventeen years ago and all you say is hi?" she snarled.

Malfoy stumbled over his words. He hadn't _expected_ to see her here. So when he saw her ever-bushy hair, well, he was just as surprised as she was. He hadn't the faintest idea what to say really. There were too many things he needed to say, and his brain seemed to have given up. The air between them was thick, filled with crackling magic, _suffocating._

Hermione counted her breaths. One. Two. Three. Four. He blinked seven times. Nine people passed without a glance in their direction.

"Hermione, listen-" he started.

Hermione jabbed her wand against his throat. Draco fell silent. Their current position brought her back to third year. They had stood exactly like this. In the end she had slapped him. That option seemed satisfying right now.

"I asked what you were doing here." she said dangerously.

"I just moved back from Italy." he nearly whimpered.

Her mouth twitched. He was scared. _Good._ He should be terrified right now.

"Oh Italy!" she screeched. "How wonderful for you Malfoy! And while you were off in Italy, I was raising our daughter!"

Time stopped. His mouth froze. The words he meant to shout back at her were swept into the wind. Hermione's eyes grew wide with regret. Her mouth hung open, her words ringing and ricocheting off the walls surrounding them. Draco looked at her in awe.

"I have a daughter?" he whispered. "You kept her?"

Hermione thought about slapping him then. Instead she snorted.

"You may have fathered her, _Draco,"_ his name tasted like rotten milk. "But she is not your daughter."

Draco frowned. Guilt rippled across his features while she wore a look of pure hatred. Pure rage.

She hadn't meant to tell him about Rose. To be honest, she hadn't meant to be in his presence this long. Like it was something he didn't deserve. Which he didn't, the stupid prat. Before either could speak again, another familiar voice called out to Hermione.

Hermione's head snapped to attention, to find Harry standing just feet away from them. His mouth hung open at the sight of Malfoy. It seemed to take him a few moments to drink in the scene before him as he stammered incoherently. Hermione still hadn't lowered her wand. And before Harry could speak, she seized her only chance. In the fraction of a second, she stowed her wand back in her pocket and stepped forward so her nose was just centimeters from Draco's.

She spoke softly, he had to stain to hear her every word. "Stay away from me and _my_ daughter. If I see you anywhere near her, I will hex you into the next dimension."

Hermione turned on her heel, grabbed Harry by the arm and pulled him back in to Madam Malkins' where Ginny and James were waiting.

"Hermione! What was Malfoy doing here?" Harry finally said, peering out the shop's window to catch another glimpse.

Both women could see him shaking with rage. Ginny had focused her attention to Hermione, wearing a shocked expression.

"Malfoy was here? In Diagon Alley?" she asked.

Hermione nodded grimly. She regretted not slapping him. Or hexing him right then and there. She hated that she had just walked away.

"Yes, but I made it very clear he's not go anywhere near Rose." she said, her voice shaking slightly.

Ginny cocked an eyebrow. "You told him about her?"

"I didn't mean to. It just sort of...slipped out." she said defensively.

"Alright, let's go find Rose, tell her to look after James. They could go to Quality Quidditch Supplies while we grab a drink at the Three Broomsticks, yeah?" Ginny suggested.

Hermione nodded. It was a logical plan. It was exactly what she needed for this particular situation. Ginny led her out of the shop as Harry and James followed.

"Mum, who's Malfoy?" James asked.

The three adults exchanged a glance, all looking uncomfortable. They headed down the cobbled street rather hurriedly. Harry mentioned the Quidditch shop to his son and James completely forgot about their current conversation. Hermione spotted Rose and her friend Elizabeth walking out of the Apothecary. Rose caught sight of them and waved before saying good-bye to Elizabeth.

"I thought we were meeting at Flourish and Blotts?" asked Rose.

"A little change of plans. Would you mind taking James to Quality Quidditch Supplies? Your Uncle Harry, Aunt Ginny and I are just going to have a quick drink at the Three Broomsticks." Hermione explained, hoping Rose wouldn't notice the worry lines she was sure were visible on her forehead.

"This is one of those times where you need to discuss adult things isn't it? I'm sixteen mum, I could handle it." Rose countered half-jokingly.

"Rose we'll talk about this tonight." she snapped.

Her head was pounding horribly now and she was terrified that Draco would turn up again. Rose looked quite wounded, and Hermione felt the guilt wash over her. Her stomach was churning by now.

"I'm sorry." she said, reaching to brush a strand of hair away from her daughter's eyes. "It's just...this is important, and I need to talk to Harry and Ginny alone. But when we get home...I'll tell you everything."

Rose took a moment to observe her mother. Twitchy palms, worry lines, short-tempered. Her mum was worried. And this was something _big,_ Rose was certain. James tugged on her sweater, pulling her back to reality.

"Rose, come on! There's a new Firebolt out and I want a good look!"

She smiled down at the boy who was a spitting image of his father. He was all messy black hair and a personality as bright as the sun. He was _impossible_ to ignore.

"Alright then, come on!" she laughed. "I'll race you!"

The two took off sprinting towards the North Side of Diagon Alley. All three parents waited until their children disappeared in the crowd. Hermione sighed again, turning to face her two best friends.

"Shall we get going then?" Harry asked.

* * *

The Three Broomsticks was noisy and crowded. The trio had to wind their way to the back of a pub just to find an empty table. And to their surprise, there was one lone table in the back corner. The three of them sat down and didn't say a word until Madam Rosemerta finally arrived at their table, took their order and returned with their drinks.

"Right, so tell me exactly what happened." Ginny said.

Hermione let out a deep sigh before launching into her story. She told Ginny every detail; from the moment she heard Malfoy call out to her to when she walked back into the shop with Harry. Ginny was an excellent listener, nodding and shaking her head at the right moments. When she was done, Ginny took a long sip of her butterbeer before casting Hermione a very serious look.

"And you're going to tell Rose?"

Hermione nodded. "I can't keep this from her. Not anymore. She has the right to know."

Harry gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "We can be there when you tell her."

Hermione shot him a weak smile. "Thanks, Harry. But I need to do this alone."

Regrettably, the trio downed the rest of their drinks while cursing Malfoy and wondering to themselves w _hy now?_ Harry dropped their money at the bar, thanked Madam Rosemerta and followed Hermione and Ginny back into the windy fall afternoon.

* * *

It was completely dark by the time Rose and Hermione arrived home. After spending another hour in the Quidditch shop, gathering the rest of their school supplies and having the promised celebratory dinner, they were finally able to say good-bye to Harry and the others. The small three bedroom house was completely dark. Hermione fumbled with the key before finally pushing open the door and dropping the bags by her feet. With a flick of her wand, dim lights illuminated the small living room.

Rose flounced to her room with her new broom and school supplies as she shouted another round of thanks to her mum. Hermione flopped on to the couch and let her eyes drift shut for a moment. She was _tired._ She was angry and confused and hurt. She was in _shock._ Draco Malfoy had seemingly appeared out of thin air. She hadn't seen or heard from him in sixteen years. He had practically fallen off the face of the Earth before finding his way back to them. But it was sixteen years too late. She couldn't possibly forgive him now.

"Mum?"

Hermione shot up at the sound of her daughter's voice. For a split second, she saw a five year old Rose standing in front of her. Her hair sticking up in odd places while other parts were plastered to her face. Her big, round silver eyes staring up in admiration. And those rumpled pajamas with little rabbits all over them. She blinked again and the five year old was gone. Rose was sixteen now. A bright young woman. Her hair was in a bun and her pajamas were far from rumpled.

"Sit down sweetheart."

Rose did as she was asked, feeling her heart begin to pound. Judging by the look on her mother's face, she had every reason to be concerned. Rose reached out for her mother's hand, squeezing it ever so slightly.

"I need to talk to you about your father." Hermione said nervously.

Her daughter nodded earnestly. As much as she had asked over the years, Hermione had told her practically nothing about her father. She knew her father had left but she was never told why. She didn't even know what he looked like. As far as her mum had been concerned, her father didn't exist.

"Rose he left me when I had just found out I was pregnant with you. He said he wasn't ready for it. I woke up and he was gone, just like that. So you have to understand that...I've been angry at him for a long time. I've been hurting for a long time." she hated the shakiness of her voice.

Rose doesn't say anything for twenty long seconds. She blinks several times, let's go of her mother's hand and brings her knees to her chest. She counts her breaths as they come and feels the fall of her chest.

"He moved away apparently. I don't know when, but he just moved back. I saw him today in Diagon Alley." Hermione spoke again, her voice much calmer now.

Rose's eyes went wide, shining like moons in the orange candle light. Her mouth fell open ever so slightly. Stray strands of hair were beginning to fall out of her bun, framing her face.

"Dad was there? In Diagon Alley?" she asked softly.

Hermione nodded. "We...I sort of yelled at him. Told him to stay away from the both of us."

"Why couldn't I have a go at him?" Rose asked angrily.

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. Rose crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for her mum's answer. Hermione leaned forward and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"I love you, you know that don't you?" Hermione whispered.

Rose rolled her eyes. "I love you too mum."

"So-" Rose said after a moment of silence. "You told dad to stay away?"

Hermione nodded. "He's been gone for a long time, Rose."

"I know," Rose said quietly. "I know."

* * *

Hermione walked through the busy corridors of the Ministry as she stifled another yawn. Though Rose had reacted better than she expected, Hermione had found it hard to sleep the night before. After only achieving a meager two and a half hours of sleep, she had skipped her shower that morning, downed three cups of coffee before she was even out the door and struggled to keep her eyes open on the train ride.

She made a sharp left to enter an empty lift and pressed the number two. The lift shuddered before descending into cool darkness. Her eyes drifted shut as she leaned against the back wall. She could fall asleep right now...

The lift came to a rickety stop, jolting her awake. Hermione frowned, hoisted her bag back on to her shoulder and tried to drown at the click-clacking of her heels against the smooth, glistening black floors. It was quieter and much less crowded down here. She sighed in relief as she approached the wooden door that would lead her to her department.

A gold number twelve glistened against the dark cedar wood as she got closer. Her hand me the cool brass of the door handle before pushing it open. Her receptionist was waiting for her in the doorway, blocking the view of the reception area. The receptionist, a petite witch by the name of Alexandra, looked worried and a tad bit scared.

"Miss Granger, I'm sorry. I don't know who he is but he insists this is his first day of work. He won't leave."

Hermione sighed. Alexandra was a nice girl, but was too intimidated by other Ministry workers and visitors. The poor girl was still interrupting Hermione during meetings because she was too afraid to tell a visitor she was unavailable.

"Alright, but there's just one more thing."

"What is it?" she asked, clearly exasperated at this point.

It was going to be a very long day.

"He says you won't be happy to see him."

Hermione frowned in thought and then it felt as though ice were seeping through her veins. She shivered, dread filling her stomach. No, no, no. Not him. Anyone but him. Let it be that cocky arsehole Cormac or even one of the Slytherin's from her year. _Just not him._ Her heart was pounding against her ribcage. Perhaps those three cups of coffee had been a bad idea. _Please not him. Anyone but him._

But there was no mistaking the glint of platinum blonde hair as Alexandra stepped aside. Draco stood, full view, in front of her, no more than fifteen feet away. He looked-she couldn't tell how he looked, actually. She saw flashes of feigned indifference, pride, guilt and discomfort. His hands were shoved in his pockets again. She hated that she noticed the stubble still resting on his jaw.

"For fuck's sake." she mumbled inaudibly.

* * *

A/N: The next update for this fic won't be until October 31st, it's a long time I know. But I made a writing schedule to help me work on multiple fics and not get disorganized or overwhelmed. Also the chapters for this fic won't be as long as Burn. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this! Let me know with your reviews xx

(If any of you are Pansmione fans, I'll be posting the first chapter of a fic called Dangerous on October 10th!)

Thanks for reading!


	3. Missing

A/N: Happy Halloween!

* * *

"Hermione," he welcomed.

She shoved past him and made sure to elbow him in the ribs on her way to her desk. She slammed her briefcase onto the cherry wood desk and shuffled through some papers from yesterday just to keep her hands from shaking uncontrollably. She could feel Malfoy's eyes on her but she refused to acknowledge him.

Her office was on the smaller side. There was barely enough room for her desk, the empty desk across from her, two filing cabinets, a bookshelf and one chair. With Malfoy in the room, it felt suffocating. Like the walls would cave in on them at any moment.

"Hermione." he said again.

Her entire body was shaking now. She wasn't sure she could do this. And maybe she didn't have to. A visit to Kingsley's office seemed appropriate.

"I have some business to attend to." she said as calmly as she could. "Unpack your belongings on that empty desk."

Without looking at him, not even from the corner of her eye, Hermione turned on her heel and stalked out of her office. Alexandra mumbled something to her as she dashed pass reception, but Hermione did not hear her. She was on a mission now. There was no way she was going to work with Draco. She had to make Kingsley understand. This was never going to work.

Harry saw her in the corridor and tried to wave her over but she stalked right past him. Kingsley's office was close now, just around the corner. Her calves burned and she could feel a thin line of sweat forming at her hairline.

Further picking up her speed, she bounded around the corner and sighed in relief at the sight of his office. She burst in without knocking and stalked right up to his desk. Hermione looked down slightly to find Kingsley already staring at her. He already knew why she was here, he had been expecting her. Expecting this.

"Hermione," Kingsley began.

"Kingsley, I completely respect you as my authority figure but I do not want to hear your explanation." she said loudly. "This will not work."

One of Kingsley's eyebrows shot up so far they were nearly touching the tip of his forehead. He frowned at the younger witch as she glared back at him.

"Watch your tone, Miss Granger." he said warningly.

Hermione felt her cheeks grow hot. She cringed and mumbled an apology. The fire that had been roaring inside of her seconds ago had simmered considerably. Of course it was out of line to talk to Kingsley that way. Completely unacceptable.

Kingsley adjusted his robes and leaned forward slightly. Hermione sat down and edged towards the desk. Kingsley's voice was low when he spoke.

"There was a case I received yesterday, and I wasn't sure who to give it to. It wasn't a big enough case for the Aurors. They have their hands full with the abroad murders case. I decided a Private Investigator would be best."

Hermione grinded her jaw. He meant her. She was the only Private Investigator right now, as it was something new they had started just a few months back. Hermione had suggested it in a meeting with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and Kingsley not only loved it, but thought that she would be best for the job. Of course she would never complain about the pay raise and increased benefits, along with the ability to choose her own hours, but it wasn't what she had originally intended to happen.

"You needed a partner, and this was my true dilemma. There was no one to pair you with. And then," his eyes flickered to the door. "I heard of Mister Malfoy's return on my way to the loo. I sent him an owl immediately and asked him if he might like to help us out temporarily."

Hermione shook her head. "Listen, I appreciate that you wanted to give me some help. But I can do this on my own. I've worked other cases by myself."

"Those were simple cases of people like Mundungus. I'm sorry Hermione," he said with a sympathetic frown. "But this is non-negotiable. Mister Malfoy will be of help to this case and he will be working with you until it is solved."

Hermione clenched her jaw, her face hard as stone. Kingsley blinked a few times before assuming he could now explain the case.

"A young woman I believe you went to school with has gone missing."

She glanced at him then. Her stomach clenched as her heart began to pace. Names and faces flashed into her mind. She swallowed.

"Who is it?"

How exactly was Draco going to be of use to this case?

"Pansy Parkinson." he replied sullenly.

Hermione felt as though she had the wind knocked out of her. Her heart plummeted to her stomach. She felt sick as her body began to shake. Not Pansy...why Pansy?

* * *

 _"He's a wanker, Hermione. A complete wanker." Pansy seethed as she paced her bedroom._

 _Hermione choked back another sob. She felt pathetic. Completely and utterly pathetic. Her eyes were red and watery, her hair was a wild mess and she was sure there was snot running down her face. But she couldn't help it. She couldn't contain the sorrow and the anger that had consumed her after reading Draco's note._

 _Pansy had been in her pajamas still when Hermione appeared in her fireplace, already a blubbering mess. The former Slytherin listened intently as Hermione explained everything. By the end of it, Pansy was fuming._

 _After making Hermione a strong cup of tea and making a screwdriver for herself, Pansy sat Hermione down and asked her a question hadn't thought about yet._

 _"What are you going to do about the baby?"_

* * *

"Hermione," Kingsley said.

"Hm?"

"Here's the file. Take it back to your office and get to work with Mister Malfoy."

Hermione stood quickly, her mind still reeling from the news. She left Kingsley's office without a word and slowly made her way back to her own office. The clicking of her heels echoed off the walls in the now silent corridors.

She hadn't spoken to Pansy in almost three years. The last time she had seen Pansy, it had been in an interrogation room. And Pansy had been crying, swearing over and over again that wasn't it her. That they had gotten it all wrong. She had pleaded to Hermione to believe her, to help her.

When Hermione bumped into something hard and cold, she was surprised to find herself standing in front of her office. Alexandra stared at her with a worried expression. Before Alexandra could say anything, Hermione slipped in to her office and shut the door with a soft click behind her.

Draco sat at his desk with his briefcase open. He held up a folder with papers sticking out at odd angles and grimaced. Hermione inhaled sharply when she noticed their folders identical. She would bet all of the gold in her vault at Gringotts that he had a copy of the file Kingsley had just given her.

"It looks like we have work to do." he said grimly.

She knew there was no way she could work this case alone. Sure she had been good friends with Pansy for years, but there was a side of Pansy's life Hermione had never known much about. Partially by choice, as she felt it wasn't appropriate for a mother of a six year old to go galavanting across Europe with a couple of men she just met a bar and partially because Pansy didn't want to "ruin her innocence by discussing such activities". Hermione smirked at all the times Pansy had said that to her. And then she frowned because it was the only reason she couldn't figure this out by herself. Because unfortunately for Hermione, Draco probably knew more about that part of Pansy's life than she did.

"Let's just...read over these files and see what each of us thinks. Then we can figure out our first move." Hermione mumbled before she collapsed into her chair.

Draco didn't say a word as he flipped open the folder and took out a report filed three and a half years ago. Pansy had been brought in for questioning concerning a robbery at an Apothecary in Sweden. He read over the report, but found most of it was in Swedish. He was there once, nearly ten years ago now and he had learned quite a bit of Swedish in preparation. But he never went again and had clearly forgotten a large portion of the vocabulary.

"Hermione," he said.

"Hmm?" a trace of annoyance in her tone as she continued scanning the page in front of her.

"Do you happen to know Swedish?"

She looked up and batted her eyes. "No, Draco. I do not know Swedish. I'll have to pick up a book somewhere. I set it aside for now. Besides, I think I need something more recent."

He knew it was probably wise to keep his mouth shut and he wanted to set this straight from the start.

"You keep saying 'I', you know. But you're not doing this alone, Hermione. We're working together." he reminded her with a steady voice.

Hermione set down the paper she was currently holding and walked over to Malfoy's desk. She leaned over so her face was inches from his. She glared directly into his stormy gray eyes. She slipped her wand out from the waistband of her skirt and pressed against his stomach.

"Let's get one thing straight right now Draco Lucius Malfoy. If I could work this case alone, I would. I _will_ however, do anything it takes to work with you as little as possible on this. And we're going to find Pansy as quick as we can so that you can leave and I don't have to ever see you after this." she muttered dangerously.

Malfoy looked at her wand nervously only once before the pain of her words was evident in his features. Even she was a bit surprised at how angry she was at that moment. She stepped back quickly and retreated to her desk. Draco straightened his suit jacket and moved on to the next file.

* * *

Hermione's stomach growled painfully. She hadn't had an appetite this morning and skipped breakfast. One glance at her watch told her it was ten to one. She yelped and jumped up from her chair.

"I'm going to lunch. Be back in thirty minutes." she said quickly as she packed her bag.

As she reached for the door handle, someone knocked on the door.

"Hermione?" a muffled voice said.

Draco squinted at the door with suspicion. He thought knew that voice from somewhere. But he couldn't quite place it.

Hermione opened the door and smiled at the broad shouldered man standing in the doorway with a bouquet of red roses. Draco watched in horror as Hermione took the roses and stood on her tiptoes to place a quick kiss on the cheek of Viktor Krum.

She said nothing to Draco as she linked arm through Viktor's and swung the door shut behind her.

* * *

Viktor scowled as Hermione filled him on the events of her morning. She had told him about what happened with Draco all those years ago when they first started dating four years ago. So when she told him that Draco would be working with her, he was not happy.

"Vill you ve okay vorking with him?" Viktor asked with a furrow of his brow and a meaty hand placed over hers. "Should I say something?"

"No, Viktor, that's quite alright. I can handle him." she assured him gently.

He grunted but said no more on the subject.

"I have missed you very much, Hermione." he said earnestly.

Hermione leaned against his shoulder. His arm slipped around her waist. It wasn't easy being in a long distance relationship. Viktor traveled nearly year round for Quidditch, leaving them with little time together. Viktor kissed the top of her head before tilting his head down to whisper lowly in her ear.

"Do you vant to go somewhere more private?"

She felt a chill run down her spine and a blush tint her cheeks pink. She glanced at her watch.

"We have twelve minutes."

Viktor smiled, grabbed her hand and dragged them out of the cafeteria.

* * *

Draco tried very hard not to notice her ruffled hair, twisted skirt and flushed cheeks when she burst back into her office nearly five minutes late. He had thought about going down for some lunch but after seeing Hermione with Viktor Krum, he had lost his appetite. He knew she had every right to be with someone else, but it didn't stop the excruciating pain that stabbed at his heart.

Viktor cast him a glare before he left. Hermione made it a point to avoid looking at him and he thought he could see her cheeks turn bright red. Her jaw was clenched and her lips were turned into a slight frown. She shifted through the contents of her bag; she straightened her skirt, sighed and sat down without a word.

Draco sat in the uncomfortable silence for a few moments. He shifted in his chair and pulled at his tie. Sweat had begun to form along his hairline and his collar suddenly felt as though it were choking him.

"So I suppose there's no need to ask if you're seeing someone." he said awkwardly.

Hermione continued to look down at the scattered papers among her desk.

"I wouldn't have given you answer if you had asked. It's none of your business honestly." she replied calmly.

Draco's mouth clamped shut. She had a point. He cleared his throat and attempted to focus on the reports before him. But all he could see was Hermione kissing Krum...his hand at the base of her back and her tousled appearance upon her return.

"Hermione-"

"I'm done talking to you, Malfoy. Just get back to work."

* * *

A/N: The chapters for this story are going to be on the shorter side.

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Next chapter update: December 5th


	4. Coffee and Cigarettes

Hermione shuffled into her flat at dusk with a weight the size of an elephant sitting in her stomach. Today had been even more horrifying than she had imagined. She had _completely_ forgotten about her lunch date with Viktor after learning Malfoy would be working with her. As it wasn't already completely awkward between her and Malfoy. And Viktor would no doubt ask her over and over again if Malfoy was behaving himself. It was just-it was going to complicate things.

And _Pansy._ Her stomach lurched. What had happened since they saw each other last? According to the files, there had been no recent arrests or anything to suggest that Pansy had even existed for the past three years.

She took another sip of wine and set the glass down on the counter. Realizing the only place to start was Pansy's arrest in Sweden, she slipped her flats back on, grabbed her purse and her wand and set out to the bookstore.

* * *

It had started to rain on her short walk to the bookstore. Six blocks. She had six block between home and her current destination and it decided to rain now. Hermione was never one to believe there were invisible forces impacting the course of one's life, but today it felt as though the world was against her. As if life was playing a game. How many curve balls could it throw her in one day before she lost it?

The answer was waiting for her just inside the bookstore. In the form of the very last man she wanted to see. His platinum hair was plastered to his face and neck; he must have had a longer journey than her. She stood in the doorway and watched little droplets of water fall from his sleeves to the stained carpet.

She attempted to shuffle to the right and sneak into the nearby stacks, but her movement must have caught his eye. He was calling out to her. Shit, shit shit.

"Gr-Hermione!"

Her body froze. Her eyes slammed shut. She clenched her fists, her shoulders hunched. Shit. Shit. Shit. Seriously?

She could feel him standing there. Right behind her. Breathing. Waiting. She turned around slowly, forcing her features to relax.

"Funny how when I'd rather you disappear, I can't get rid of you." she drawled, not caring about the hurt that flashed across his pale, pointed face.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, completely ignoring her jab.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Buying a book, _obviously."_

Draco frowned. She had every right to hate him, but Gods did she have to be such a bitch every time she opened her mouth? He said nothing to her sarcastic retort and instead ruffled his hair, spraying water everywhere. Including her.

"Dammit, Malfoy!" she nearly shouted.

He said nothing and she huffed, wiping away the stray droplets on her face. Her face was red and screwed up in anger now. Her chest felt tight and her socks were wet and fucking Malfoy was still standing right in front of her.

"You came to get a Swedish dictionary." he said flatly.

She could have slapped him then. But she was never one for causing a scene in public. The stupid prat knew exactly why she was here and he still had the nerve to waste time with ridiculous questions.

He shuffled his feet. The silence was tense between them. The rain pattered against the roof above them.

"After you buy the book, do you want to work on the case?"

She scoffed.

"Not that I want to do anything that involves you, but w _here_ do you suggest we do just that? We can't exactly work on it here."

They both looked around. The bookstore was small, cramped, packed with too many books and wobbly chairs. The lighting was dim and there was far too much chatter. Madam Pince would be blue in the face right now.

Draco shrugged. He didn't look at her. "The office."

"I just came from there." she said.

"Right." he muttered. And then, "I passed a diner on my way here."

Hermione sighed and squared her shoulders. For the sake of Pansy's life, she couldn't say no. And what was she going to do at home? Sit and stare at her notes as her thoughts formed a life of their own? Drown in her worry and fear for an old friend? At least working with someone, she might be able to concentrate.

"Fine, but you're buying." she muttered as she pushed past him towards the non-fiction section.

* * *

The rain had lightened considerably in the seven minutes it took them to locate the dictionary they needed, pay for it and walk out of the bookstore. The little bell tinkled over their heads as they stepped onto the sidewalk. Hermione stopped, causing Daco to bump into her from behind.

"Fucking hell, watch-"

But his scold was lost as he watched her draw out a cigarette and quickly light it with what he assumed was a muggle contraption that contained fire.

"I didn't know you started smoking." he said, more shocked than anything.

Hermione began walking again. She took another drag and watched the puff of smoke travel slowly through the air before it thinned and disappeared.

"Well I suppose there's a lot of things you don't know about me." she countered slyly.

"Are you going to throw this in my face every chance you get?" he asked, drawing out his own cigarette.

He, however, discreetly used the tip of his wand to light his. Hermione arched an eyebrow and took another drag. Her throat stung but her nerves had calmed and her hands had stopped shaking. It was the only thing she had kept from Rose. It was her filthy secret.

"You were gone for seventeen years. And you've been back in my life for not even a week. So for now, yes." she took a large breath before saying that final word.

Draco nodded. He exhaled. The smoke spiraled up, up, up. They walked along the sidewalk slowly, and he wondered if she noticed they had slowed their pace. But then, if she smoked cigarettes for the same reason he did, she had only slowed down to make the most of it.

"So you won't be this horrible to me at some point?" he asked.

She barked out a laugh. Bitter. Still genuine. Still as pretty as he remembered

"If I still have this much anger and resentment boiling inside me a month from now, I'll have already exploded."

"Fair enough."

His heart hurt. The rest of his cigarette tasted like shit.

* * *

The diner lights were bleak and dreary, horrible for reading tiny print and translating languages. But they were already here and wet and hungry, so they stayed. The waitress asked them booth or table, and Hermione had immediately said table. Draco had said booth but after a moment of awkward silence and a perched eyebrow from both women, he resigned and mumbled table as well.

When they were seated on horrible metal framed chairs with plastic seat cushions, and the waitress had gone to fetch them their coffee, he finally asked, "Why table?"

She glanced at him quickly then immediately back down at the files already spread across the table.

"Booths make me claustrophobic." she muttered.

He didn't need her clarification. He understood just fine. She didn't want to be so close to him. Tables made for quicker exits. She was on full guard.

The waitress returned with two mugs and a steaming pot of coffee. They said their thanks and told her it would be a few minutes before they were ready to order. Hermione wasn't quite sure she even had an appetite; her stomach kept tightening every time she looked up. Why had she thought this wasn't a terrible idea?

"I'll translate if you want to write it down." she said, her voice sounding much more confident than she felt.

"Sounds fine to me."

His handwriting was shit but he wasn't about to argue with her. Despite being gone for seventeen years, he knew her. He could read her like a book. Letting her be in charge was her control, and she needed that right now.

They worked in silence and never ate. Their mugs were refilled countless times. It was around the fifth cup of coffee that Hermione could work no longer. She was beginning to sweat and her hands wouldn't stop shaking.

"I need a cigarette." she mumbled as she stood hastily from her chair.

Hermione wanted to scream at him to stay inside, but her mouth was clamped shut. And so he trailed behind her, already rolling a cigarette between his fingers before they even reached the door.

The cool night air hit her face as she stepped through the doorway. She stepped to the side, just enough to gain shelter from the small overhang and enough that Draco would at least have to walk around her if he wanted to stand next to her.

Hermione pulled out a cigarette and closed her eyes as she took her first drag. When she opened her eyes, she frowned when she noticed Draco had not moved around her. He was standing in the rain.

"Why are you standing there?" she asked curiously.

He shrugged, took a drag from his cigarette and exhaled slowly before saying, "I figured you didn't want to me standing next to you."

She cocked her head slowly, her eyes narrowed into slits. She studied his features, which had matured since she last saw him, but as usual, his expression was blank. She forgot that he always used to wear this mask-that made nearly impossible to tell when he was hurt or angry. She took another drag before ashing it.

"Thanks."

"So," he said. "How have you been?"

"How have I been?" she repeated, her voice high-pitched and off key.

Draco nodded.

Hermione took one long drag from her cigarette before throwing on the ground and stomping on it with the toe of her boots. She laughed, shaking her head; smoke billowed around her before fading.

"You're a fucking piece of work, Malfoy." she spat before she stalked back in to the diner.

Draco stood dumbfounded for a moment. He watched as she packed her things, toss a few bills on the table and stalk back out. She pushed on the door as hard as she could, and stopped right in front of him.

"I only paid for my coffee." It was petty and small, she knew that. But it was the best she could do without slapping him.

Hermione sneered at him one last time before turning on her heel and practically running down the street. She made an unnecessary left turn to throw Malfoy off, just in case he tried to catch up with her. Or follow her home. Her blood was still boiling as she took another out of the way turn before stopping in a small alley. She peeked around the corner and sighed in relief when she saw nothing but an empty street. A dark empty street. She gripped her wand for reassurance.

She could just apparate home but she was upset and the rain and cold air calmed her. She ducked out of the alley and set off at a steady pace towards her flat.

How has he not apologized yet? Surely that would have been the first thing he would say. But he's been back for a few days now and they've been alone more often than she would prefer under the circumstances. So he's had his chances. Hermione shook her head. She shouldn't even be upset about this. She shouldn't care a _t all._ Because she had Viktor and Rose. She had a boyfriend who loved her, who loved her daughter. A boyfriend that was _there_ for her daughter.

Thinking of Rose brought on a wave of guilt. She looked down at her cigarette before tossing it on the ground and stomping on it as she continued walking.

 _I don't care about Draco._

 _I don't care that he hasn't apologized._

 _I don't care at all._

She repeated all of this to herself the rest of the way home, and again when she tried to fall asleep that night.

* * *

Draco crushed his cigarette under his loafers angrily as he watched her walk away. He thought about following her, to demand she just fucking talk to him about what she's feeling. But it would only lead to yelling and arguing and that's not what he wanted. He w _anted_ to apologize, to beg for forgiveness but what good would those do? How does someone even apologize for something like this? Draco knew he had messed up—no, he had fucked up. And no amount of apologizes were going to change what he had done.

He decided on just returning home to his flat and calling it a night. There was a slim chance he would have any luck with Pansy's case tonight. Hermione had probably taken the Swedish dictionary with her, and he couldn't do much without it.

Draco returned to the diner and went back to their table. He threw down money for his coffee plus a tip. As he was gathering his belongings, he caught sight of a book buried underneath a couple of his folders. He pushed the folders aside and he swore his heart skipped a beat. She had forgotten the dictionary. He let out a small laugh and packed it in his briefcase. With of all the papers, files and dictionary safely confined in his briefcase, Draco left the diner with a slow sinking feeling in his stomach.

At this point in his life, he had no one. Hermione hated him, and with good reason. Pansy was missing. Blaise had stayed in Italy with his fiancee—his mate was irrevocably in love with this woman and over the past few months, it was almost as if Draco didn't exist. His father had been furious that he had left _him_ without any sort of good-bye, and his Mother had made it clear that she did not approve of his actions. Even if he wanted to, which he never would, he couldn't even approach Potter or Weasley without them trying to hex him, because they would. He was alone. In every sense, and it was all his own doing.

He took his time walking home, letting the rain dampen his tousled hair and pressed suit. His feet dragged along the pavement as he drew closer to his flat. The door felt heavy and the metal handle was cold. The ground floor was empty. He met no one as he climbed the four flights of stairs. The hallway was barren and quiet. He sighed, pulled out his key and stepped into his pitch black one bedroom flat.

With a wave of his wand, he flicked on the lights. He kicked off his shoes, changed into his pajamas, poured himself a glass of firewhiskey, and sat down with Pansy's file and the dictionary Hermione had left behind.

He made notes in the margins of the report. His hand was starting to cramp and his eyes were growing heavy. He set down his quill and took a moment to scan his progress. They already knew the reason for Pansy's arrest, the potions ingredients had been listed in English...and then, he saw it. The two names of the suspects who had been arrested with Pansy. He hadn't realized what they were at first.

Feeling confident that he at least had something productive to tell Hermione tomorrow, Draco tucked away the file once again and headed off to bed. He tossed and turned for a while, trying to get comfortable. It was somewhere in between letting his thoughts drifts to his time spent with Hermione tonight—despite the sourness of it all—and reminding himself that it was no use, she would never take him back that he fell asleep.

* * *

Draco plastered on his best fake smile the next morning when Hermione entered their office, looking completely apathetic.

"Good you're here," he said, rising from his chair.

She looked up at him curiously while taking off her coat and setting down her briefcase.

"Elaborate."

"You forgot the dictionary last night." he stated.

She huffed irritably. She leaned against the side of her desk and folded her arms over her chest.

"I'm aware. This still doesn't-"

"There were two male suspects with Pansy when she got arrested in Sweden."

Hermione cocked an eyebrow, undoubtedly impressed. She let out a long slow breath.

"Okay, so what? We figure out where those two are now...see if we can talk with them, get some answers. This is all hypothetical of course, we don't even if they're alive or in Azkaban or-"

"Hermione," he said calmly.

Hermione winced. It had been a long time since he said his name that way. It partially irked her that he still knew her so well. The prat knew what tone to use to get her attention. And she hated the part of herself that missed hearing him say her name.

"Right. Sorry." she paused, looking troubled. "How do you suppose we track these two down?"

Draco had been excited up until this point. He hadn't really thought about it. He had been so excited to tell her...so hopeful that they had a place to start, that it would lead to somewhere, that he hadn't thought at all about how they'd get to that point.

"Contact their Wizengamot?" he asked.

Hermione pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"I'll go talk to Kingsley. I'm not sure if it's the Wizengamot we want exactly or their general Law Enforcement Department—I think that's who we need-"

"For Salazar's sake, Hermione!" he cried, dragging his hands down his face. "Go."

She scowled at him before marching determinedly to Kingsley's office. Draco hid his smile as he watched her leave. And just like last night at the diner, the familiar wave of regret and guilt and loneliness washed over him—reality crashing over him. They would never be together again, she would never want him back. Not when she had Viktor now; who never abandoned her and helped take care of his daughter. But Merlin he wanted it all to work out somehow. To be with her, and Rose. He was ready, he was sure of it. He knew this was what he wanted. He just had to make them see it too. He had to make this work, he just had to.

* * *

A/N: The chapters for this fic aren't going to be very long. Thank you for the love and feedback xx


	5. Sweden Part 1

"Right, so one of the Swedish suspects is residing in London-"

"Convenient." Draco commented, adjusting his tie as Hermione went over their notes.

She had gone to Kingsley a few days ago and asked for help contacting Sweden's Magical Law Enforcement Department. After five days of hearing nothing, they finally got the whereabouts of the two suspects.

It wasn't all good news, however. Especially not in Hermione's eyes.

"And the other," Hermione sighed. "Is still living in Sweden."

"So...what? We go to Sweden."

Hermione slumped down in her chair, rubbing her temples with her eyes shut. When she opened them, her face looked pained. Uncomfortable. Filled with dread.

"We." she said faintly. "Gods could this get any worse?"

Draco gritted his teeth. He could not keep losing his temper with her. It wasn't going to get him anywhere. He forced himself to take a deep breath before he spoke.

"We'll get separate hotel rooms." he mumbled.

Hermione barked out a harsh laugh. "Of course we will."

She sighed, staring blankly at the notes in front of her. "Well, while we're there it might do us some good to visit that Apothecary too. Talk to the shop owner. See if they remember anything."

* * *

They were due to leave for Sweden the following day. Today they were making sure they had all of their necessary paperwork, adding new notes and attempting to learn enough Swedish to get them through the short trip. Hermione had been reluctant at first to practice with him, but in the end she agreed.

"I can't very well go to another country not knowing an ounce of their language, can I?" she had said warily.

It was lunch time now. They had agreed that morning to just have lunch at their desks as there was simply far too much work to do. Draco had just started in on his sandwich when there was a knock on her office door. Draco tensed, fearing it was Krum again. And he did not fancy the idea of having to watch Krum cradle and kiss Hermione in front of him, _again_. Just the thought of it made him sick.

Hermione set down her own sandwich, stood from her desk and opened the door. To his relief, it wasn't Krum. It was her receptionist—whatever her name was. He couldn't remember. He heard Hermione thank the girl and shut the door quietly.

When he looked over at her, she was holding an envelope with a wide grin on her face.

"What's that?" he asked.

Hermione scowled, sat down again and ignored him. He sighed inaudibly and took another bite of his sandwich. Maybe it was extremely personal. So really, who was he to ask?

He heard the tear of an envelope and the unfolding of parchment.

"It's from Rose. It's the first time she's written me this year."

He tensed again. There were many questions he was burning to ask. But he held his tongue. Hermione had made it very clear in the beginning that she would not discuss Rose with him. But if that still held true, why did she tell him this tidbit of information? If she didn't want him to comment or ask questions surely she would have kept this to herself.

"Is everything alright?"

There. A simple, general question. Nothing specific or prying. Just a mere expression of concern.

"Hm?" she said, her eyes still scanning the parchment. "Oh, yes. Everything's fine."

Draco nodded. He wouldn't press her any further on this matter.

She seemed content after receiving the letter from Rose. Draco's curiosity burned for hours after that. He hoped she would get up and use the bathroom so he could read the letter but he scratched that idea immediately. Even if she would never know, he couldn't do that to her. It was wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

Hermione was in such a good mood for the rest of the day that she didn't insult him once. She even brought him a cup of tea once they were done eating their lunch.

Draco wished Rose would write Hermione every single day.

* * *

At six o'clock the next morning, Draco stood outside the Ministry of Magic in his suit and pea coat. It was horribly chilly for a September morning and he found himself wishing he hadn't packed his scarf into his suitcase. He checked his watch and peered down the street. Hermione should be here at any moment. Where the hell was she? It was freezing out here and if he had to stand there for another he minute, he feared his toes might fall off.

Part of him was secretly excited about this trip to Sweden with Hermione. Even though he was fully prepared for her to give him some speech about how this is strictly a work trip and they would talk about nothing except work, it was a chance to be alone with her. A chance to show her that having him around wasn't such a bad thing after all. That he at least deserved to be treated with decency.

The sound of footsteps pulled him away from his thoughts. He looked up and Hermione was walking towards him. He took note to the second cup of coffee she held in her hand and had to suppress a grin. At least things seemed to be getting off to a good start.

She had an unlit cigarette dangling between her lips and a sour look on her face. Her hair was twisted into a messy bun at the back of her head and her wool scarf was wound snugly around her neck.

Hermione handed him his coffee, he thanked her.

"Do you still take it with a cream and two sugars? Because it's been a while, so-"

"Yeah, I do." he replied, sipping from the travel cup.

She pursed her lips and he knew she was biting back a sarcastic comment. At least she was trying.

"Hey," he said, his voice cracking. "Seriously, thanks for the coffee. You didn't have to."

Hermione shrugged. "It's freezing. Besides, I'm not a complete monster."

They stood in silence, sipping their coffee and suffering in the cold.

"The car should be here any moment." she said finally.

He nodded and hiked his travel bag higher onto his shoulder. Hermione was already holding her suitcase. Right on cue, a Ministry car pulled up. The driver got out and loaded their belongings into the trunk. Draco stood by and let Hermione get in first.

The backseat was realistically spacious, which Hermione seemed to love as she had scooted to the passenger's side door. She took out a book from her bag and sipped her coffee.

"You're not going to look over your notes?" he asked.

She looked annoyed that he had already interrupted her—her lips pressed in a thin line and a soft sigh escaping her lips.

"I can do that on the train."

"Right."

* * *

They spent the rest of the car ride in silence. Hermione read her book, and Draco alternated between going over the case files and staring out the window. It had started to rain not long into the drive; he had watched it progress from a mere drizzle to a downpour. When they arrived at King's Cross, Hermione looked out the window and groaned.

"I hadn't realized it was raining!"

Draco raised an eyebrow. "How did you not? It's incredibly loud."

She scowled at him, gathering her bag and other belongings.

"I get absorbed into books easily. Sue me." she retorted.

He chuckled and dug through his bag until he found what he was looking for. He handed her a sweatshirt he was now glad that he had packed.

"Here. Take this. Unlike you, I have an umbrella."

She hesitated for a moment before slipping it on and pulling up the hood. It was just a plain back sweatshirt, and it was much too big for her. He thought she looked adorable in it; it had been a long time since she had worn an article of his clothing. For the sake of not setting Hermione off, he kept quiet and scrambled out of the car into the rain.

The driver retrieved their trunks for them and bade them a safe trip. Draco offered to carry her trunk for her but she refused. They walked side by side into the station, maneuvering through crowds of people in a hurry to catch their trains. He stopped her from running right into a burly man with a ridiculous mustache, and in return she thanked, looking quite flushed.

They arrived at Platform 11 1/2, in which a Ministry run train would take them to Sweden. As they had done over the years, they surreptitiously disappeared into the brick wall between the two platforms.

* * *

The Ministry train was sleek and black, quite the opposite of the Hogwarts Express. The Platform was littered with hundreds of people bustling in business suits and talking in hushed voices to fellow co-workers.

Despite being seen around the Ministry together every so often, Draco could tell Hermione was not entirely comfortable being seen at a busy train platform with him. For whatever reason, he wasn't sure. And to be honest, he didn't feel like asking.

Draco took her trunk, much to her dismay, and trudged up the steps into the train with Hermione trailing behind him. They walked down the narrow hallway and spotted an empty compartment towards the middle of the train. He asked Hermione if this one was alright and she nodded.

Once their trunks were in the carriages above them and they were seated (she sat opposite him, and he didn't mention it), Hermione pulled out Pansy's case file and all of their notes. They seemed to come to a silent agreement to only discuss Pansy's case as the train pulled out of the station and the countryside opened up on either side of them.

After almost an hour and a half of doing nothing but going over small details they already worked out and went over their list of places they would need to visit after Sweden, Hermione asked him a question he wasn't expecting.

"So," she said after taking a deep breath. "Kingsley said you would be beneficial to this case because you were involved in Pansy's secret life. What exactly did he mean by that?"

"It's not what you're thinking," he said. "She confided in me about some stuff. I bailed her out a few times. All minor things, of course."

Hermione pursed her lips. It shouldn't upset her to know that Pansy had kept in contact with Draco while she was raising their child. She and Pansy lost contact a few times and no matter how tough Pansy seemed on the outside, she needed someone she could turn to. It made sense that Draco was one of those people for Pansy, _but still._

"What?" Draco asked.

"Hm?" she said. "Oh, it's just...I wasn't expecting to hear Pansy was still friends with you while she and I were friends."

She avoided his gaze when she spoke. He knew what she was referring to. Silence fell between them as the train rattled on.

"Hermione," the way he said her name made her freeze. "I didn't know she was friends with you. She never said-"

Hermione helped up a hand to stop him. She didn't want to hear anymore. To know that Pansy never once mentioned Hermione to him, stung. Pansy had always seemed so angry with Draco when she was around Hermione. Was Pansy ever actually bothered by Draco's decisions? Or had she just been playing the part?

Draco didn't know what else to say, so they sat in silence. Hermione let herself get lost in her thoughts before a thought popped into her mind that made her stop and return her gaze to the blonde sitting across from her.

"Would you have, though? Tried to contact me?" she asked, her voice no louder than a whisper. "If you had known, I mean."

"Yes," he said immediately.

She blinked. She had not been expecting an answer, and so quickly at that. _It shouldn't matter,_ she told herself. _You have Viktor now._

Hermione shook her head and said nothing to his response.

* * *

They had spent the rest of their ride in silence. He bought them both food and drinks from the cart, despite her protests and afterwards she took a nap. Draco used the quiet time to make notes of his own but it was difficult when snippets of their conversation from earlier kept replaying in his head.

 _Would you have, though?_

Though she hadn't said anything when he told her he would in fact have tried to contact her, he thought she looked content with his response. What it meant for him exactly, he wasn't sure. But he hoped she at least no longer hated him with the intensity she did when she first saw him.

The train had slowed to a stop at the train station in Sweden and Draco nudged Hermione to wake her up.

"We're here." he said, pulling down their trunks.

She yawned, pushed her hair out of her face and stretched. She looked even more tired than she had before she fell asleep.

"Mind if we have a smoke before we head to the Hotel?" she asked.

Draco nodded. He could use a cigarette himself.

* * *

Draco waited for her to finish the last of her cigarette before they headed towards the hotel. It was only a few blocks from the train station, a smart move on Hermione's part he admitted.

"You know you're basically wasting money buying those cigarettes?" she said, raising her chin.

He snorted. "Isn't smoking in general a waste of money?"

Hermione's steps faltered. She hadn't thought if like that. "Perhaps," she sniffed. "But if you're going to waste the money, why not buy a brand that burns longer?"

Draco didn't bother with a retort as they drew closer to the hotel. When they arrived, he held the door open for Hermione, allowing her to pass through first.

The lobby looked like it was still stuck in the 18th century and the old woman behind the desk looked as if she would kick it any second now. They approached the front desk. Hermione glanced at him nervously before addressing the woman. But she didn't seem to hear them.

Only when Hermione rung the silver bell sitting on the counter than the old woman jolted in her seat and sat up straight.

"What do you want!" she snapped, peering down through her three-inch thick spectacles.

"Erm," Hermione said. "We have a reservation under Granger. There should be two rooms."

The elderly woman pursed her lips and flipped through a large black book, scanning the pages. She mumbled to herself as they waited patiently.

"Granger, yes, I see you here."

Hermione sighed in relief. "Great-"

"Except we no longer have two single rooms available. We have one room left."

Hermione groaned and let her forehead rest against the oak wood desk. Draco was not opposed to sharing a room with her, but he knew it was the one thing she was insistent upon. And he had understood.

"Are there two single beds?" he asked.

Hermione looked at him, a frown on her features. But he ignored her. He did not feel like traipsing all over a city they had never been to before just to find two separate hotel rooms. And by the looks of Hermione, she wasn't up for it either.

The old woman nodded, handed them a key and sneered at them. Hermione scowled at the old woman but thanked her.

"You shouldn't have done that." Hermione snapped as they walked down the poorly lit hallway.

They stopped in front of their room, A5. He studied her features—darting eyes, wringing of the hands, her lips pressed tightly together. This time, it was his turn to frown at her.

"Viktor doesn't know you're here, does he"? he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Hermione averted his gaze. Her silence was his answer. He didn't know what to make of this information, but a part of him deep down was pleased. Hermione rolled her eyes, and pushed open the door.

"He does, actually." she said coolly.

Draco looked at her in surprise, though he shouldn't be. She was too honest for her own good.

"I'm just not thrilled about telling him we had to share a hotel room." she grumbled as they made their way into the room.

It was plenty big enough, with two single beds just mere feet apart. There were two small dressers opposite the beds, one closet and a fairly large bathroom. The décor was tacky and the tan carpet was stained, but it would do. They were only here for a few days after all.

Draco did not want to talk about Viktor anymore. He didn't want to hear about her relationship dilemmas either. It was completely and utterly selfish, he knew that. But it was painful—hearing her talk about the man she was with. The man she kissed and wrote letters to and ate brunch with when he came to visit.

"I don't know about you," he said with a heavy sigh as he plopped down on the bed. "But I could use a nap before we do anything."

Hermione nodded, sorting through the collection of books she brought along.

"That's fine," she replied. "I need to shower and then I'll make a schedule for us to follow while we're here. I also need to prepare a list of questions for when we talk to the shop owner and the suspect."

Draco yawned, nodded in response to her short ramble and pulled off his socks and shoes. He drew the covers of his fully clothed body and fell asleep to the sound of running water and Hermione humming to herself.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing, as always! I haven't posted this story on ao3 and I don't think I will, but that could change. As usual, follow me on tumblr and subscribe to me on ao3 (all new drabbles, one-shots and new multi-chapter fics are posted there). If there's any mistakes you notice, please let me know so I can fix them!


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